Werner Voss

[tcrean7828]

Mate,
Alex, thanks for that clearification. A mention is not a verifiable fact.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

[Lupus]

Werner Voss was shot down while he was probably wounded, gliding heading west (British positions), with the propeller not running and making no intent to defence himself nor shutting to others.
Of course, it could be an error to give Voss a chance, but it seems to be an execution rather than part of a combat.

[alex_revell]

Combat? What about the ten minutes beforehand? Voss wasn't waving a white handkerchief or otherwise signalling surrender. How was Rhys Davids to know Voss was giving up. Telepathy?

[Lupus]

Originally Posted by alex_revell

Combat? What about the ten minutes beforehand? Voss wasn't waving a white handkerchief or otherwise signalling surrender. How was Rhys Davids to know Voss was giving up. Telepathy?

Sure their were fighting for about 10 minutes. But after that, and once Voss was not fighting anymore, gliding, with the engine stoped, with no evasive maneouvres, heading west, it is not necessary telepathy (just a common brain) to consider that Voss has been seriously injured.
The fact is that Rhys Davids shoot down (twice) a man that was not fighting anymore (conclusion made without the use of telepathy, just reading the testimonies of the pilots).

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Lupus

Werner Voss was shot down while he was probably wounded, gliding heading west (British positions), with the propeller not running and making no intent to defence himself nor shutting to others.
Of course, it could be an error to give Voss a chance, but it seems to be an execution rather than part of a combat.

Mate,
Welcome to the flagship of the Aerodrome - where the greatest minds on the planet get together and talk about their favorite subject - WW1.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

P.S. Werner Voss fan here.

[Lupus]

Originally Posted by tcrean7828

Mate,
Welcome to the flagship of the Aerodrome - where the greatest minds on the planet get together and talk about their favorite subject - WW1.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

P.S. Werner Voss fan here.

My pleasure. I have found many interesting opinions in this forum, specially yours, so your welcome is very much appreciated.
I am also very interested on WV life and death and IMHO he deserved a chance before the last shots.
I am avid to learn more about the life (and death) of this brave pilot.
Thanks again.

[VtwinVince]

Many aces, both Allied and Axis, strafed parachuting aircrew in both conflicts, so singling out Voss is the usual crap from Ginger, the site's foremost racist moron.

[Ginger.]

Originally Posted by VtwinVince

Many aces, both Allied and Axis, strafed parachuting aircrew in both conflicts, so singling out Voss is the usual crap from Ginger, the site's foremost racist moron.

Vinny, stop with the Hero worship bollocks, you'll get me all embrassed!

[alex_revell]

Lupus,
Just think about this for a moment. You have been fighting this enemy pilot getting on for ten minutes. Like your fellow pilots you have been amazed at his flying abilities, the amazing manoeuvres he has done, the SEs that he has sent out of the fight. Then, suddenly he is in front of you. Do you stop in those few seconds to think: 'I think his prop isn't turning. Perhaps he's gliding. He's flying straight and level. I wonder if he's wounded. I wonder if he wants to surrender. ' Of course you don't. In the heat of the moment, you fire. Let's be realistic and sensible about this.

[Lupus]

Originally Posted by alex_revell

Lupus,
Just think about this for a moment. You have been fighting this enemy pilot getting on for ten minutes. Like your fellow pilots you have been amazed at his flying abilities, the amazing manoeuvres he has done, the SEs that he has sent out of the fight. Then, suddenly he is in front of you. Do you stop in those few seconds to think: 'I think his prop isn't turning. Perhaps he's gliding. He's flying straight and level. I wonder if he's wounded. I wonder if he wants to surrender. ' Of course you don't. In the heat of the moment, you fire. Let's be realistic and sensible about this.

In the way you describe the battle, you are right: suddenly Voss was in front of Rhys-Davids and then, without time to evaluate Voss (or Voss’s machine) conditions, Arthur shot, Voss fall down and the battle ended.
But Arthur had already shot to Voss a moment before and then Arthur had time to manoeuvre to put himself behind Voss and time to shot once and even time enough to reload and time enough to fire up to thirty rounds into the falling triplane.
A pilot that was not fighting anymore, leaving the battle site, gliding toward enemy’s positions without evasive manoeuvres and even with the propeller not running.
I wonder what else was necessary to demonstrate that the pilot was out of combat.
In fact, I have a great deal of respect from Arthur Rhys-Davids and I know that his main duty was to kill, no matter enemy’s conditions. War is just like that.
Despite our different point of view on this topic, I see that you are an expert on the WWI subject and I will be delighted reading your books and articles.
Sorry for my bad English.